WHO lists Malaysian-developed hepatitis C drug as essential medicine

From the article:
Former health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said Malaysia led the effort to list the drug.

“The ravidasvir listing on the WHO EML is another milestone for Malaysia in its journey of developing a cost-effective hepatitis C drug. It addresses healthcare access, affordability and equity, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.
Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.

“This addition to the list would mean many more member states and civil society groups can gain access to this affordable medicine and eliminate hepatitis C by 2030,” Noor Hisham, now a board member of DNDi, told FMT.

DNDi, or Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative, is an international, not-for-profit research and development organisation.

The development of ravidasvir was initiated by Malaysia’s health ministry and DNDi, in partnership with Thailand’s health ministry, Médecins Sans Frontières, Presidio Pharmaceuticals, Pharco Pharmaceuticals and Pharmaniaga Berhad.

Malaysia approved the use of ravidasvir hydrochloride in June 2021.

The listing is historically significant for Malaysia and the world because the first highly effective hepatitis C drug, sofosbuvir, used to cost more than RM300,000 for a 12-week treatment.